The University of Southern California received verbal commitment No. 17 to the 2009 class on Sunday evening at the Under Armour All-America Game when John Martinez of Salt Lake City Cottonwood announced his intentions for next season.

Martinez, the 6-foot-2, 270-pound Rivals.com four-star prospect, had been deciding among USC, UCLA and LSU.

However, as he explained live on ESPN from the sidelines in Orlando, Fla., with his father, Steve, and his younger brother Nick, USC was the right fit.

"USC is the place to be, and there's nowhere else that I would want to go," Martinez said shortly after his brother handed him the cardinal USC hat. "It's the best fit for me."

Martinez, whose team lost to close friend Xavier Su'a Filo in the Utah state championship game, projects to be either a center or guard for the Trojans.

After his visit to USC in early December, Martinez said that the Trojans lacked nothing.

"I thought the visit was a nine. I wasn't disappointed with anything at all," Martinez said to USCFootball.com. "There wasn't really anything that could've made it any better."

Martinez joins Kevin Graf along the line for next season, both of whom are currently protecting future teammate Matt Barkley at the Under Armour All-America Game.

The Trojans should now be able to make an even stronger push to get Su'a Filo. Martinez and Su'a Filo have been saying for quite some time now that they would like to play together at the next level.

Stay tuned to USCFootball.com for an in-depth interview with Martinez about his decision and his future with the Trojans.